Tag: opioid epidemic

1. Researchers have identified a significant increase in hospitalizations due to infective endocarditis related to drug use. 2. Heart valve surgeries among patients with drug use-associated infective endocarditis have also increased with the opioid epidemic. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study Rundown: The authors of this study utilized a statewide hospital discharge...

1. Following clinical guidelines release, decreases were observed in the overall rate of opioid prescribing. 2. Guidelines may be associated with reduced high-dosage opioid prescriptions and the percentage of patients with overlapping benzodiazepine and opioid prescriptions. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study Rundown: Opioid overuse and misuse remains a significant problem in...

1. Even among healthy children using standard dosing, outpatient opioid prescriptions were associated with adverse events. 2. Older children were more likely to be prescribed outpatient opioids and to suffer adverse events related to their use. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study Rundown: The increasing opioid epidemic among adults is well-documented in...

1. Buprenorphine and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was associated with reduced death in opioid users. 2. No significant associations were found between naltrexone and all-cause mortality or opioid-related mortality. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study Rundown: Opioid overdose has become a rising problem in North America. There are several medications currently available...

1. All opioid misuse patterns examined had a positive association with opioid overdose and death. 2. High number of prescribers and/or pharmacies was a key predictor for subsequent adverse events related to opioid overdose. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study Rundown: Opioid dependence is a rising healthcare concern in North America. One...

1. In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, weekly or monthly buprenorphine depot injections were non-inferior to daily sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone in maintaining no evidence of illicit opioid use at 24 weeks in outpatients with opioid use disorder (OUD). 2. The mean opioid negative urine samples (as calculated with the cumulative distribution...

1. The rate of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions attributable to opioid ingestions has significantly increased over the past decade. 2. While the cost of PICU admission attributable to opioid ingestion has significantly decreased over the past decade, the use of mechanical ventilation and vasopressors in patients from...

1. Researchers found a strong link between prescription opioid use and the risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). 2. The strongest link was present in individuals using formulations of opioids that were long-acting, highly potent, or utilized at a high dose. Evidence Rating Level: 3 (Average)       Study Rundown: Certain opioids possess immunosuppressive...

1. Household member opioid prescription was linked to a small increase in the risk of personal opioid prescription compared to a household non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) prescription. 2. The observed association may be explained by an unaccounted variable that is moderately associated with the exposure and outcome. Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) Study...

1. For reversing opioid overdose, intranasal naloxone of a higher concentration (2 mg/mL) seems to have a similar efficacy to intramuscular naloxone. 2. Lack of transport to a health care facility after successful naloxone reversal seems to be associated with low serious adverse events and death rates, but no comparisons...